Chicago Wide Receiver Considering Purdue

Jason Avant feels fortunate to be in the situation he's currently in.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound athlete from Chicago has recently emerged as one of the nation’s top wide receiver prospects and is getting all kinds of attention. Obviously scoring 15 touchdowns and reeling in almost 1,300 yards receiving for Carver High School as a junior didn’t hurt. But the athleticism he possesses likely has college coaches most excited.

Avant, a member of Prep Football Report’s Top 100, is also a skilled hoopster, averaging 18 points a game as a point/shooting guard. As a junior, he earned all-city honors. His athletic skills have proven worthy of football scholarship offers from Tennessee, Miami (Fla.), Boston College, Notre Dame and every Big Ten school except Indiana, Purdue and Minnesota.

Why would the Boilermakers not offer this talented receiver?

"Honestly, I don’t think they’ve seen my tape yet," Avant told Gold & Black Illustrated. "I’m not worried about it, though. My goal is to get down to Purdue sometime by the end of July. I like Purdue’s offense and they have my major (Restaurant and Hotel Management). I like the fact they run a lot of multiple receiver sets."

Avant has not narrowed his list of schools down yet but plans on taking all five official visits this fall and winter. After camping at Michigan and Notre Dame this summer, he was immediately offered a scholarship.

"It was such a good feeling because the coaches at those camps were basically choosing who they wanted," said Avant, who has a 3.0 GPA but will retake the ACT. "It really is a blessing to be recruited."

Stay tuned to goldandblack.com this week for updates on Center Grove’s Jeremy VanAlstyne and Fort Wayne’s Anthony Spencer, later this week.